Lawmakers mull new powers for commissioner to deal with insurance changes

Lawmakers mull new powers for commissioner to deal with insurance changes

Republican attempts to repeal ACA increase uncertainty in market

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Updated: 6:23 PM EDT May 23, 2017

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WEBVTT PROTECTCONSUMERS.AS REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTONATTEMPT TO FULFILL A CAMPAIGNPROMISE TO REPEAL AND REPLACETHE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, GOPLEADERS IN CONCORD ARE BRACINGFOR THE POSSIBILITY THEY MIGHTSUCCEED, ELIMINATING OBAMACAREEXCHANGES AND SUBSIDIES.>> IF THOSE GO AWAY, WE WILLHAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM INTHE INDIVIDUAL MARKET.ADAM: THE SENATE HEALTH ANDHUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE ISCONSIDERING AN AMENDMENT THATWOULD GIVE MORE FLEXIBILITY TOINSURANCE COMMISSIONER ROGERSEVIGNY TO ACT IN THE EVENT OFMAJOR HEALTH INSURANCE CHANGESIN THE COMING MONTHS.>> DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS INREGARD TO THE AFFORDABLE CAREACT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTAND WHAT CONGRESS DOES, OR TOADDRESS MATTERS MORE IMMEDIATELYIF THE RATE HIKES ARESIGNIFICANT.ADAM: ONE OPTION IS TO BRINGBACK SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THEHIGH RISK POOL PREVIOUSLY USEDTO COVER PATIENTS WITH THE MOSTSERIOUS AND COSTLY CONDITIONS.>> WE WOULD MORE READILY CALL ITAND INVISIBLE HIGH RISK POOL.IT WOULDN'T BE TRANSPARENT TOTHE CONSUMER, BUT THE FUNDINGMECHANISMS BEHIND IT WOULD BEWHAT ADDRESSES THE HIGH RISKPORTIONS OF IT.ADAM: WHILE SOME CONSERVATIVESVOICED CONCERNS THE AMENDMENTGRANTS TOO MUCH POWER TO THEINSURANCE COMMISSIONER, OTHERSSAY DOING NOTHING COULD BE FARMORE COSTLY FOR CONSUMERS.>> PROVIDING THIS FLEXIBILITY TOTHE DEPARTMENT IS SOMETHINGESSENTIAL THAT WE NEED TO DO INTHIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY ANDUNPREDICTABILITY.ADAM: THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONERSAYS HE CAN'T PROVIDE SPECIFICSON RATE INCREASES YET BECAUSECARRIERS HAVE NOT RELEASED THEIROFFICIAL FIGURES.

Lawmakers mull new powers for commissioner to deal with insurance changes

As uncertainty clouds the future of the Affordable Care Act, lawmakers in Concord are taking steps to prepare New Hampshire for major changes to the health insurance market.

As Republicans in Washington attempt to fulfill a campaign promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, GOP leaders in Concord are bracing for the possibility they might succeed and eliminate Obamacare exchanges and subsidies.

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"If those go away, we will have a significant problem in the individual market," Majority Leader Jeb Bradley said.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee is considering an amendment that would give more flexibility to Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny to act in the event of major health insurance changes in the coming months.

"(I could act) depending on what happens in regard to the Affordable Care Act and the federal government and what Congress does, or to address matters more immediately if the rate hikes are significant," Sevigny said.

One option would be to bring back something similar to the high-risk pool previously used to cover patients with the most serious conditions.

"We would more readily call it an 'invisible high-risk pool,'" Sevigny said. "It wouldn't be transparent to the consumer, but the funding mechanisms behind it would be what addresses the high-risk portions of it."

Some conservatives voiced concerns that the amendment would grant too much power to the insurance commissioner, but others said that doing nothing could be far more costly for consumers.

"Providing this flexibility to the department is something essential that we need to do in this time of uncertainty and unpredictability," said Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth.

As to whether there will be rate increases, the insurance commissioner said he can't provide specifics yet because the carriers haven't released their official figures. He said he believes that a significant increase is likely.